Introduction: The Past And Present Of Household Archaeology In Israel

10.1163/ej.9789004206250.i-452.5

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Chapter Summary

The study of household assemblages was one-dimensional and selective in scope, ignoring aspects of gender, household production, and status in the houses of the early Israelites and Philistines. The first section of this book includes three papers that use very different research methodologies. The second section of the book includes case studies in household archaeology in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages and in the Iron Age. The third part deals with the identification of household cult and its role as an important domestic activity. Israelite household cult is discussed by Nakhai in an article that exposes the important role of domestic cult practices in two separate realms. The role of the cult within Philistine households is examined by Press, who puts forward various methodological difficulties in identifying household cults and differentiating between popular and official cultic practices.